On becoming a chartered project professional

As a Registered Project Professional (RPP) I have been looking forward to the day that I can build on that recognition by becoming chartered and that day will soon arrive - you won’t be surprised to know that my application is already in process.

I would encourage all RPPs to think about whether it is right for them. For some, APM fellowship may be the most appropriate next step, but one thing all of us as RPPs have in common is the ability to spread the word among our peers that the chartered register is now open. Let’s look to encourage and support others in our profession by sharing the good news.

My message is that, on a personal level, becoming chartered gives you a competitive edge above those who aren’t accredited which is a great incentive. Of course, it’s also good for the profession more generally, lifting the status of project management as a profession and building a greater understanding of what we do.

I became an RPP back in 2011 so this is a natural next step for me. It is a demonstration of professionalism that builds on, and goes beyond, qualifications. I believe that the ChPP status goes before you in the organisation, its shows that you are at the top of your profession and helps to open doors and influence the industry via your network.

Here at BAE Systems, the chartered competences are aligned to our own frameworks. We encourage the uptake of APM qualifications, which means our staff are very much on the chartered track.

Another feature of chartered status which I value is the focus on continuous professional development (CPD). This is something that I have spoken about in my role as president of the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE). I have talked about how, in my experience, engineers are very curious, and always wanting to find ways of improving their knowledge and upgrade their skills. CPD is the best way of making that happen and becoming chartered is evidence of this investment in your own learning.

As a member of the RPP community, I was pleased to see that we are already pretty much there in terms of becoming chartered. The RPP assessment has been recognised as fulfilling one of the three application routes. So, provided your practice is up to date, it’s about evidence of CPD and commitment to ethical practice, all of which is then consolidated in an interview. APM has just launched it's chartered support services, which will help guide you in your ChPP application.

For RPPs becoming chartered is straightforward and the natural next step. I hope to be among the first practitioners leading the profession into this next phase.

From my Senior Support Equipment Engineering role back in 2003 at BAE Systems, I became aware that I had both a flair and passion for managing the product design projects and deliverables from an end-to-end perspective and was very motivated by the project management aspects, tools and techniques. Once I finished my sponsored degree in Computer Aided Engineering I had the opportunity to transition into a project management role on a major aircraft development that was a customer facing support programme.

My thirst for project management continued with being successful in company sponsorship for a Masters in Project Management in Practice at Lancaster University. Following graduation in 2008, I then embarked onto the APM qualifications and accreditations, as this was the logical next step.

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